Ebony Oaks Farm

08/08/2024

SO happy to announce that we are also expecting a Velantis/Harmonie TF foal in July 2025.

08/03/2024

So happy to announce that we are expecting a Diesel CF/Harmonie TF foal early June 2025!
I’m excited! 😍

06/19/2024

💯

To replace a good horse!
The best horses are built over years of hauling, hard work, tough times, good times, bad times, big spooks, little spooks, their mistakes, our mistakes and continual love and care.

No, your breaker can not turn your young prospect into your old faithful in 30, 60, 90, or even 365 days. It takes years.

I’m plagued with the problem of trying to impress on people how long it truly takes to build that dream partner. There’s not a smooth paved path. Your green horse will embarrass you, frustrate you, and maybe even hurt you. For some of you, buying a $20,000-$30,000 horse is going to be worth it and SAVE you money. Even that more finished horse will take a year or more to sync up with.

Cheap rate for horse training is $1,000 a month.
1 year of training: $12,000
2 years of training: $24,000

Many of you won’t believe this but your dream horse is on the other side of two years of training. In reality, it’s likely around two years of training and two years of seasoning (hauling them to town). Will that horse still make mistakes? Yes, they all make mistakes until the day they die. But that horses mistakes probably won’t put you in serious danger and that horse will probably pack your grandkids around.

If you’re trying to decide between a $3,500 prospect or a $15,000 proven horse. My advice is to do an internal inventory and figure out what you want. Buying that prospect is like the first roll on the Jumanji board. You’re entered up, get ready for a journey of ups and downs (possibly quite literally!) If you’re buying that finished horse decide what you really want, get ready for a lot of shopping and painfully overpriced sh💩tters. Take a friend or a trainer on this journey with you and try to double your budget (that’s right, 30k). Be smart and buy something OVER 8 years old. Don’t buy that pretty 5 year old they only want 20k for. He isn’t old enough to be proven for you. Lots of horse traders are trying to flip horses, anything under 8 is likely twice as green as he looks in the video. Maturity, both mental and physical will be key when looking for a safe horse.

If you want a project and a challenge I’m not hating, that’s what I want in a horse too, so I buy young ones. If you need a safe one, bring lots of money and quit thinking you need a 6 year old. You probably don’t have what it takes to mentally support that 6 year old through new situations.

The biggest reason I bring this up is because as folks retire their old faithful they are so far removed from when that horse was green and did dumb stuff. They forgot how tough those two years were back when he was 4-6. They only remember the amazing horse he was when he matured. The 3 year old they just bought is YEARS from filling that horses shoes when it comes to training level and safety level. I see people hate on trainers because the trainer couldn’t make their young horse, “finished” in 90 days. It’s honestly the biggest reason I like taking colts for 30 or 60 days. The expectation is shockingly lower than when I take one for 90 days. It’s weird what people expect from a 90 day start. Most people should commit to sending their young horse out for a full year. Two years would be even better.

Green horses do green horse things, don’t blame others for the challenge you bought yourself. Accept the challenge or pay the price for one further along. No matter which path you choose with horses, it’s going to cost you.

(I didn’t write this one I’m not sure who did, however every word of it rings true)

Edit, author Craig Moore

06/07/2024

I read a theory about why so many riders lack a deep command of basics, and it was explained like this---

Correct basics are hard to master because there is an enormous amount of repetition involved, and if someone has tried something hundreds, possibly thousands of times, and still can’t do it, it is easy for the person to conclude that he/she is taking on an impossible challenge.

In his book “Mastery,” George Leonard wrote that on the quest to become good, there will be long stretches of “seeming non-improvement.”

Like watching grass grow, change is happening, but so slowly that it can’t be measured daily, weekly, or even monthly. But at some point, for those who stick with it, “suddenly” they can do things that before they couldn’t do.

The issue is giving up in frustration before putting in those many many many many months of practice.

That is ONE theory. I am sure there are many others, but this one does ring true.

05/28/2024

05/26/2024

Website is now live!
Many thanks to Melissa Hofpar!

Our world revolves around horses at Ebony Oaks Farm. Personalized diets, regular veterinary and dental care, frequent exercise, and attentive eyes on herd dynamics are all a part of daily life at our facility.

02/20/2024

Hahaha! 😂

02/18/2024

Some light reading I just got in the mail. Looking forward to geeking out on classical dressage and equine neuroscience books! 🤓

02/10/2024

I’m totally loving this guy! Gorgeous Latino is an amazing young stallion! 😍 I think I found the right match for Harmonie! Can’t wait!

12/24/2023

Merry Christmas Eve! This was Ava and I yesterday-my first brown Christmas! A little sad, a little happy to be out riding on the road minus snow and ice. But boy it’s a lot prettier when it’s white.

12/13/2023

Good basics reminder

Charlotte Dujardin shares her young horse training tips, what to look for in a young horse and how to start their education sympathetically.

12/11/2023

Thank you to Taya Holmstrom for coming out to talk to us about equine massage and healing modalities. Our little monsters appreciated the massages!

12/11/2023

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas at Ebony Oaks. Some of the horses are getting in the Christmas spirit-others not as much…😂

11/30/2023

Anyone local interested in picking up these free horse items?
Large Oster Stewart Clipmaster body clippers-still run.
Cob size grazing muzzle, barely used.
Amazing Graze horse toy-barely used.
Also not pictured-small size black leather or fake leather youth half chaps in good condition.
Also several smaller dressage pads, some never used…
Message me if interested! Trying to clean out my horse stuff!

11/16/2023

The new skinny TB is getting a tad bit of “chub”! Yay!!! He’s such a sweet guy and has started doing a couple lessons here and there. 😍

10/06/2023

Wow…

From Hunter/Jumpers Of The 70's & 80's
Kathy Kusner on Untouchable jumping huge wall at Rotterdam circa 1965

08/25/2023

Interesting

When riding onto a circle, imagine you are on a ramp in a parking garage heading up to the next level. You ride your horse UP and around the circle. Never pull the inside rein down and in, because you will be taking the horse’s inside shoulder down and in with you. Especially on smaller circles (like 8 or 10 m) I picture a ramp taking me up and around with an outside retaining wall, so my horse can’t bulge through the outside shoulder. Thanks Susan DiFelice Design for this gorgeous illustration!!
🌀 🐎 ↗️ 🚗

08/24/2023

My “helper” in lessons today. 😂

08/23/2023

We must be crazy right?

Because we like to have fun...🤷‍♀️😆

07/26/2023

Cool

This is going around FB and I had to share it also - a brilliant way of looking at the Training Scale that starts with the rider!

05/08/2023

I’m so privileged to get to ride some really fun horses! This mare is very special to me-and she’s starting to do baby shoulder-Ins and travers and just grow up to be an adult horse! I’m so very proud of her every time she steps up and tries something new!

04/16/2023

One of the kids was in the tack room when I marched in the other day saying to myself, “How’re you going to ride without a bridle Jen?” Without a moments hesitation the response I got…”Well you’d need to use your legs.”
My kids have heard me many times say to students “use MORE leg and LESS rein!” I guess they were listening! 😂

02/06/2023

Did you know that a horse that hasn't been how to properly support and carry the weight of a rider will instinctually hollow their back away from the weight of the rider? Many riding horses spend their entire careers going around with hollow backs, even upper level competition horses.

Carrying weight with a hollow back is, at best, uncomfortable for the horse, and in many cases is actually quite painful. Many horses tolerate this discomfort because they don't know any alternative. Other horses develop behavioral problems and become labeled as bad horses.

For a horse to remain healthy and comfortable in his work he must be taught how to support the weight of a rider with first a neutral back and then later on with a lifted back. This is a process that takes time, as you can't rush muscle development.

I've found that the best way to teach a horse to lift his back is on the ground first, through classical in hand work. Without the extra weight of the rider, it is easier for the horse to learn how to lift his back and it is easier for him to develop the strength that he needs in order to maintain a lifted back for an extended amount of time.

Once the horse has and understanding of this healthier posture and has developed some strength, it will be much easier for him to accomplish the same thing with a rider on his back.

The horse will then feel more comfortable and have an easier time performing his job. He will be less prone to injuries and behavioral problems and he will be able to continue doing his job for much longer than if he never learned to move in a healthy way.

As stewards of our horses, we owe it to them to give them the best lives possible. That includes taking the time to teach them how to move in a way that is healthy and comfortable for them.

Want to learn more about the horse's back and how you can teach him a healthy posture? We invite you to join our Healthy Movement through In Hand Work course, available in our Virtual Classroom. You'll learn how you can help your horse to move in a healthier way through the use of In Hand Work.

This work is beneficial for horses of all ages, breeds, and disciplines and no previous experience is necessary.

Learn more and sign up here- https://tuskeydressage.com/register/virtual-classroom/

12/11/2022

Just the very beginning of Christmas party food! Yum!

09/11/2022

Educational seminar planned for noon on October 8th:
Intro to the purpose of dressage, explanation of levels, and “what the dressage judges are looking for”.
We will have demo riders and group discussion of biomechanics.
RSVP if you’re interested please. 😊
$15/person

09/02/2022

Popular question:
Where do I go as far as markers for circles in the “big” arena?